Eliminating waste in today’s economy is a goal of most of us, and popular TikTok star Alessandro Vitale has released his first cookbook, Low Waste Kitchen: Radical Recipes for Sustainable Living, which contains ways to store fruits, vegetables and herbs so that they last longer. The book is worth purchasing for that reason alone, but also has recipes. I was very disappointed that all of the recipes are vegan, which doesn’t work for most of us. My vegan friends and I don’t discuss politics due to their liberal views, and we don’t share recipes because I don’t like meat and dairy free dishes in most cases. However, some of the recipes are appealing, especially since many of the ingredients are plant based and those of us who don’t fall on the vegan bandwagon can simply substitute non-plant based ingredients with the same results. Unfortunately, the recipes, even with non-vegan ingredients, are all vegetarian.

The recipes are written in the traditional manner with the ingredients listed first, followed by step-by-step instructions. They are easy to follow and aren’t difficult to make; both for beginners and cooks who are advanced. One plus is that the recipes are accompanied by notations from the author as well as beautiful, professional photographs that make the dishes look mouthwatering.

All told, everyone, including carnivores as well as vegetarians and vegans want to eliminate waste, and this cookbook only covers plant based items. It is well-written, but has a small target audience. I must say, the author has a unique look and his website is fun to watch.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Quite an interesting cookbook. I love the idea of being as minimal waste as possible especially in the kitchen. This book has a lot of great ideas not only recipes. The beginning is all about using things in different ways and how to store items properly. Will I be running out to get the ingredients for lettuce and potato soup? No. But will I try and make this if I have a head of lettuce about to turn? Probably not bc the thought of hot lettuce effs with my adhd BUTTTT I could thanks to this cookbook.

I am not typically a person who gravitates toward vegan recipes or high-maintenance recipes, but the recipes and illustrations make this look like a lot less effort than I would have thought. Everything looked delicious and interesting. I love the mix of Italian, Mediterranean, Asian and Middle-Eastern inspired recipes.

I look forward to reading the physical cookbook and can't wait to try out some of these recipes. The author even includes low-waste storage ideas, including how to make your own wax wraps. I highly recommend this cookbook for kitchen supply stores, and libraries.

A creative, plant-forward cookbook full of clever, zero-waste ideas—from scrap-based recipes to DIY products—that helps make sustainable cooking both practical and inspiring.

Such an inventive cookbook. Alessandro brought cooking to a new level. With the way the prices of produce rising having a resource to help one use as much as one can and not waste is marketing genius.

Being familiar with the author from social media, I assumed there might be a focus on gardening in this book as well, but after reading, I can see that there was plenty to cover within the scope of low-waste cooking. Vitale shares vegan recipes that are unique and a bit more involved than the typical low waste cooking content available- yet I think this book has something for beginners as well. I really enjoyed reading this.

I enjoy it! There a bunch of recipes that I want to try out and the directions seem easy to understand. There were three Romanian recipes which is great since my mother in law always struggles to accommodate my vegetarianism when it comes to holidays.

There were so many good recipes in this book and the recommendations for a more sustainable kitchen actually seem feasible and attainable.

This cookbook features very easy recipes. I highly recommend it; it's worth buying. If you love to cook, this book is for you. The recipes are simple to make

I first “met” Alessandro Vitale when he was interviewed on a YouTube channel and we toured his small backyard garden and he made the host some type of bread. My initial thought was, “This is a cool guy,” and that led me to follow him on Instagram. Ever since, I love seeing his inspiring posts pop up in my feed, so naturally, I was thrilled to get my hands on his cookbook, "The Low Waste Kitchen."

At first glance, I mistakenly assumed the book would include gardening tips as well - I’m not entirely sure why, since the title clearly says “Low Waste Kitchen.” However, it turned out to be exactly what I needed! Often, I find myself growing an abundance of vegetables but getting stuck using them in the same old recipes. Alessandro, known as Spicy Mustache, brings a fresh, Mediterranean-inspired twist that excites me, especially since Mediterranean cuisine has always intrigued me but felt somewhat intimidating. The recipes seem easy enough to recreate.

Here are a few recipes I'm particularly eager to try:

Nettle Risotto: This caught my eye despite typically not liking risotto.

Crispy Potato and Carrot Skin Snacks

Everything in the “Flowers” section

Purple Lemonade

Whole Orange Almond Cake

The photos and styling in this cookbook are stunning, adding an extra layer of joy to the experience. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed "The Low Waste Kitchen" and greatly appreciated the practical tips for creating a more sustainable and creative kitchen environment. Congrats on publishing, Spicy Mustache! Well deserved.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This has some good recipes, showing you how to use the entire vegetable and/or fruit, but some of the recipes felt a little basic. If you're new to cooking and want to know some tips and tricks in the kitchen, this is a great cookbook for you, but if you're more advanced, this might seem redundant. 3.5 stars

A sustainable kitchen is a wonderful goal, and this recipe book has lots of ingenious ways to move toward a zero-waste kitchen by using leftover scraps and planning out your meals.
This plant-forward book has so many ideas that aren’t readily found in most cookbooks- things like vegetable skin powders, carrot top pesto, and lots of pickling options. There’s even non- food recipes like lip balms and shower steamers!

A really good book with lots of great and unusual ideas to get your kitchen cleaned up!

I received a free ebook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Alessandro Vitale, an Italian gardening expert who has lived in London for more than a decade, is best known for his low-waste videos on various social-media platforms and for Rebel Gardening, a book on urban gardening. Here Vitale has produced a cookbook on sustainable vegan cooking and much more, a cookbook with the most exquisite photos and step-by-step instructions.

For full disclosure, I am an omnivore, but I found a lot to like here. First of all, it’s hard to dislike the heavily tattooed, cheery, passionate Vitale. Secondly, regardless of how you eat, there are off-beat recipes you will enjoy; however, which and how many depends heavily on who you are. Vegans will love this cookbook, of course — although, again, how much depends on how committed they are to sustainability. Most won’t want to make nettle soup, nor will they want to make their own oat and almond milks, using the pulp to make cookies. Vegan or not, few will want to process vegetable skins and peels to make coloring powders, turn pineapple peels into a drink, make rice into bread, or make a Chickpea Chocolate Mousse. Maybe that’s just me.

At the same time, vegan or not, who wouldn’t love Lettuce and Potato Soup, Upside-Down Onion Tart, Grilled Polenta with Sage, Corn Pancakes and Herb Bomb frozen cubes to use up fresh herbs that are looking not so fresh and bring them out later? Other recipes, like Carrot Top Pesto and Pineapple Chutney, look intriguing.

I wish I did not have to attach a star rating to this singular cookbook. (I did not on GoodReads.) As I noted, the rating depends on who you are: five stars for committed sustainable vegans, four for less committed vegans and three for the Great Unwashed, like lazy me.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and DK RED in exchange for an honest review.

I've been wanting to consume and waste less, and this is a perfect cookbook to get you thinking of all the ways you can do that in the kitchen. Using the peels of beets, carrots, and others and drying them for powders is brilliant, and I'm so excited to try that.

This is a delightful vegan cookbook brimming with photos, personality and fresh ideas. Vitale is immensely likable and his recipes are creative and beautiful. I am not vegan but I marked so many recipes to try. They are colorful, healthy and inventive. I love his use of wild and foraged foods, and he has lots of recipes that our family has also loved for years like dandelion honey and elderflower soda. There are photos of most recipes and there are often multiple photos if there are steps that need them. I love his uses of scraps, like granola made from the leftover pulp from homemade oat milk, chocolate covered orange peels, and colorful vegetable peel powders. There is no nutritional information and I usually dock a star for that but it’s such a great cookbook that I let it slide. Well recommended.

I read a temporary digital loan of this book for review.

From rainbow falafel and homemade fruit roll-ups to lip balm and dandelion honey, Vitale and his partner have created a fun, creative, and sustainable collection of awesome, low waste recipes. Everything looks delicious -- I can't wait to try some!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.